Summer is almost over. The kids are back in school. I can’t wait for autumn to arrive officially. In NY film festivals will be kicking off soon the end of this month in the city and in mid October in East Hampton. It’s a time when NYC comes alive. I love crisp mornings energizing me, and the hustle and bustle permeating the city. Fall is a wonderful time in NYC. But what aboutthe last three weeks in NYC? Perhaps the most intense period in my recent memory.
On August 23rd we experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake. I experienced the house I grew up in sway. My initial thought was something happened to the foundation. After all we were in the midst of the rainiest August on record. Did the excessive water compromise the foundation? No sooner had we dealt with the earthquake (or had we?) later that week we were preparing for Hurricane Irene. She came and went relatively quickly. NYC and Amagansett where I was were prepared but Irene took her wrath out in the form of flooding and loss of power in many communities throughout the east coast. Irene passed but the heavy rains kept coming causing continued flooding till last week. Just about when the rains subsided a terror alert was intensified and those of us in NYC in particular, confronted car and truck checkpoints throughout the city and subway riders had their bags checked. Police presence was increased everywhere as we got ready to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the WTC attack.

The harvest full moon of September 12 was majestic and according to astrologer Rose Marcus, http://www.rosemarcus.com“suggesting there is opportunity for significant healing to occur. The days following suggest a completion or endpoint is reached, and on its heels comes a new initiative and rapid moving forward time.”

The commemoration of 9/11 was cathartic for me. I saw and understood things in a different way than ever before. I recognized I too may have been suffering post traumatic stress and found some of the programming and perspective healing.

I’m being gentle with myself these days. I’m letting the dust settle from the intense energy of the natural storms and residue of the tragedy of 9/11. Among colleagues, friends and family we don’t seem to have the language to help one another heal. When I mention the intensity we experienced these last three weeks most slough it off. I’m suggesting doing something different. Just as I watched family members caress the name of loved ones etched in the bronze borders of the reflecting pools and listened to Dr. Benjamin Luft from Stony Brook Medical Center speak of his oral history program I recognized the importance for all of us when we experience trauma of one sort or another to acknowledge it and treat ourselves gently and with respect. Don’t underestimate the impact of this intense time in our world.

Hug one another especially your kids.

If you journal, write about it.

At work around the water cooler acknowledge what’s been happening even though you, like me, may think you are unaffected.

We live such a faced-paced lifestyle. It’s impossible not to be affected. When we address what’s hidden, the invisible, the more likely we are to be unaffected by it in the long term. Quite the segue as I’m in the process of putting the finishing touches on an initiative that addresses this very issue in organizations. Analyzing the hidden infrastructure provides solutions to chronic problems in organizations. I’ll be saying more about this next week.

One last note Peace Week starts tomorrow. For more information and to register, go to: